Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-05
Congressional Notes.
rBy telegraph to the Dispatch. ]


WASHINGTON, March 4.-The follow
ing are among the more important
House bills which have become laws:
To increase the pension of widows and
dependent relatives from eight TO twelve
dollars per month; to increase the naval
establishment to pension Mexican
war veterans; the oleomargarine bill
to reduce fees on domestic money or
dors for sums less than five dollars ; to
re mburse the National Soldiers Homes
for money lost through the Norfolk
Exchange National Bank to provide
for closing up the business OF the Court
of Alabama Claims TO establish addi-
tional hfe-saving stations for the con-
strnction of additional lighthouses
extending the free-delivery system for
the construction Of lighthouse-supply
steamers for the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts; to amend the statutes so
as to require brewers to give
bonds for three times their esti-
mated monthly tax to authorize
terms OF United States courts to be held
at Wilmington, N. c.; to authorize de-
livery to their owners of valuable boxes
dc posted in the Treasury by the Sec
rotary of War; for the issue OF postal
notes in sums less than So; for light
ship off the entrance TO Chesapeake
bay; to provide for the inspection OF
tobacco, cigars, and snuff, and to repeal
section 3151 of the Revised Statutes; to
prohibit Government employees from
hiring or contracting out the labor of
United States prisoners; to amend the
dutiable-goods act 30 as to allow mer-
chandise to be transported in bond on
passenger trains in safes, pouches, and
trunks, and in parcel to amend the
act prohibiting the importation and
immigration of foreigners under labor
contracts.
The important House bill OF pri-
vate character that became q law was
the Fitz John Porter bill.
Forty House joint resolutions be-
came laws. Among the principal ones
were the following Directing the Com
missioner OF Labor to make an investi-
CATION as to convict labor to authorize
the President to protect American fish
ing and trading-vessels and American
fishermen in Canadian waters author
ling the investigation of the books,
&C.. of the Pacific Railroad Compa-
MES.
OF the total number of bills which
passed the Senate, 800 became laws, in
clu6ing 115 public and 205 Of strictly
private nature.
The following are among the more
important Senate bills placed on the
statute-books by the present Congress:
Presidential succession bill the Cul-
lom- Reagan bill to regulate interstate
commerce for the retirement and re-
coinage OF the trade dollar; the electo-
ral-count bill /; to repeal the tenure-of-
Office act; to increase the annual appro-
priation for the militia; to establish
agricultural experiment stations; for
the study of the effects of narcotics
ard intoxicants in public schools; to
legalize the incorporation OF trades
union8; authorizing the transmission
Of weather reports through the mails
free Of postage.
The regular appropriation bills which
failed of enactment were the fortifica-
tons bill, the river-and-harbor bill
(Which was not signed by the Presi-
dent, and the deficiency bill, which
the conference report was not submit
ted in time for action. Failure OF the
Notifications bill was due to de-
cided differences of opinion be-
tween the conferrees OF the two houses.
About 700 bills passed by the Senate
failed of passage in the House. The
Blair education bill, after passing the
Senate, was buffeted about from one
committee to another in the House, and
was never allowed to come before the
House for action, although its friends
claimed decided majority in its favor
on test vote. The Cameron-Hale twin
bills, appropriating S35, 900, 600 for the
increase of the navy, were sent to the
Naval Committee and died'there, al
though provision for additional YES
sells was inserted in the naval appropria-
ton bill. The twin Notifications bills
which passed the Senate were allowed
to sleep in the House Appropriations
Committeeman.
The joint resolution to change in
auguration-day from March 4th to April
seth was fayorably reported, but left
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